The film "Queen ANT", produced by the AMU Experimental Media Laboratory of the AMU Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology, was awarded the Grand Prix of the Student Jury – First Prize Student Jury ‘Job for the Future 2025’ Award at the prestigious International Festival in Turin. Out of 400 entries, only 11 productions were selected for the competition, and "The Queen ANT" was the only film from Poland in the final selection.
The films addressed ethical, social and economic issues related to the world of work, equal opportunities, occupational safety and social responsibility. The sixth edition of the festival included six days of screenings, meetings, debates and masterclasses with filmmakers exploring the themes of work and transformations in contemporary forms of employment. The organisers included the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Massimo Cinema and the University of Turin.
Queen Ant is the first independent production by the AMU Experimental Media Laboratory, created in collaboration with 2K4K film rental and eNStiudos. The director is Michał Mróz, a PhD student at the Institute of Film, Media and Audiovisual Arts, the screenwriter is Dominik Cywiński (Experimental Media Laboratory), and the executive producer is Przemysław Raczyk, a PhD student at the Institute of Polish Philology.
Justification of the jury's verdict (own translation):
Queen Ant explores tensions, intergenerational divisions and dynamics of power in the professional world. The protagonist faces an environment that analyses and evaluates her every gesture, while surreal and symbolic situations – such as the presence of ants in the film – reinforce the impression of a system that observes and judges. By intertwining reality and dreams, the film reveals social and gender pressures as well as the complexity of roles imposed on individuals, leaving an open ending in which fragility can turn into strength, and every gesture and every glance becomes a vehicle of possibility.
The award was personally received by Dominik Cywiński and Przemysław M. Raczyk, who represented the Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology during the festival.
